Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

C. P; BUTTON.

THILL COUPLING; I

No. 469,933. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

f o WW UNITED STATES PATENT OF'FIcn.

CHARLES P. BUTTON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,933, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed June 1, 1891. erial No. 394,636. (No model.)

. tain new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thill-couplings; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a carriage-axle with my improved form of thill-coupling applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coupling, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe plate, which is secured upon the under side of the axle, and to which the thill is secured. Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating a slightly different arrangement of parts.

In said drawings, A indicates the axle, and B the shackle which "embraces it, both of which parts are of the ordinary form of construction.

O is a plate adapted to be secured upon the under side of the axle by means of nuts I) b, which engage with the threaded lower ends of the shackle B in the usual manner. This plate 0 is prolonged,so as to extend considerably beyond the front side of the axle, as

shown in the drawings, and is provided upon its upper surface with an upwardly-extending post 0', upon the upper end of which is provided a button 0 As shown in the drawings, this button 0 is secured upon the upper end of the post 0 by means of a bolt 0, which passes vertically through said button and said post and is secured in position by means of a nut c, engaged with its screw-threaded lower end. The extreme lower end of the bolt 0 is slightly upset, as shown in the drawings, so as to prevent the nut c from being screwed entirely off from the end of said bolt, while permitting said nut to be turned upward or downward for some considerable distance upon said bolt.

ing D is further provided with a vertical passage D extending through the said casting D, said vertical passage being made of a size and form to correspond with the post 0, and, as shown in the drawings, said casting D is fitted over the post 0' upon the plate 0. By

the construction shown, the button 0 being of a size to permit it to pass through the passage D when it is turned lengthwise of said passage, the casting D may be adjusted in position upon the plate 0 and the button (1 turned at right angles to said passage, so as to extend across said passage and prevent the casting D from being displaced. I aso prefer to provide recesses or depressions d d at the sides of the passage D within which the ends of the button C rest when said button is turned into the position shown in Fig. 2.

I provide a packing F, of rubber or other elastic material, between the plate 0 and the casting D, so as to prevent any rattling of said parts in case the bolt 0 should become loose. I also provide elastic packings f between the endsot' the button 0 and the surfaces of the casting D, against which said ends bear, said packin gs being secured either to the under side of said button or to the upper surfaces of the shoulders, against which said button bears. If desired, elastic packings G may be also provided between the su rfaces of the shackle B and the adjacent surface of the casting D, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5; or, as shown in Fig. 1, a space may be left between said surfaces, so as to prevent contact of said parts and consequent rattling. The usual elastic packing II is p'referablylocated between the inner end of the thill-iron and the part D, so as to prevent any liability of rattling of said parts.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: In order to secure the thills to the axle, the user turns the button G into the position shown in Fig. 3, so as to permit the part D to be passed down over said button and the post C. The part D being then adjusted in its proper position, (nut having been previously unscrewed,) the button is raised so as to lift itv out of engagement with the upper end of the passage D, when said button may be freely turned in either direction. The operator then moves said button into a position at right. angles to thesaid passage and drops said button into engagement with the recesses or depressions d d, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 more particularly. He then screws up the nut 0', so as to draw the parts firmly together, the elastic paekings vF and f f serving to efieetually prevent any liability of rattling of said parts. When it is desired to remove the thills from their engagementwith the axle, it is only necessary to unscrew the nut c sufliciently to permit the button C? and bolt 0 to be raised so as to free said button from its engagement with the recesses d' cl', when said button may be again turned into the position shown in Fig. 3 to permit the part D to be lifted off from the post O. It will thus be seen that by my improvements I have been enabled to provide a very simple, cheap, and durable thillcoupling, and one that may be readily employed ,inconnec tion with the thill irons and shackles commonly in use upon vehicles. d

I would have it understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown in the drawings, and that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departure from my invention. If desired, the button C may be made integral with the bolt 0, constituting the head of said bolt, and a spring or suitable elastic packing may be placed between the nut c and the under side of the plate 0. p

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A thill-coupling comprising a plate adapted to be secured upon the under side of the axle and provided with aprojecting post, a part pivotally connected with the thill-iron and provided with an aperture or passage adapted to fit over said post, means for locking said parts in engagement with each other,

and elastic packings between said parts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A thillcoupling comprising a plate adapted to be secured upon the under side of the axle and provided with a projecting post, a part pivotally connected with the thill-iron and provided with an aperture or passage adapted to fit over the said post, and a revoluble button of a size and shape correspondin g with said aperture engaged with the said post and adapted to be turnedsoas to comcide with said aperture or passage or to engage with the surface of said part upon oppo site sides of the same to lock said parts together, substantially as described, y e 3. A thill coupling eompris pg plate adapted to be secured 012011 thefllldllpf the axle andprovided with a projeetingpest, a part pivotally connected with thethil l ron and provided with an apertureorpassage' adapted to fit over saidpost, a revolu ton engaged with the said post and adapted to be turned so as to project upon hpposi te sides of said aperture or passage, and abolt extending through said button andsai'd. pest and provided with a nut uponits lowei end, whereby said parts maybe, firmly secured together, substantially as described.

4. A thill-coupling eomprisrng a plate adapted to be secured upon the lower side of the axle and provided with a! projecting post, a part pivotally secured to the thill iron and provided with an aperture or passage adapted to fit over said post, abutton located uppn the extremity of said post and revolu bly engaged with the latter, a bolt extending through said button and said postand providedwi th a nut, and packings of elastic material be:

tween said plate and the wwmswracepr said part and between said part anem a; ad-

jacent surfacesof the said batten, substam tially as and for the purposes described- H In testimony that I claim the togeg'o ing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, 1n

the county of Milwaukee and satqqft wis- 9 cousin, in the presence of ,two.witi1esses..- CHARLES P. BUTTON.

Witnesses:

J onn E. WILES, N. E. OLIPHANT. 

